The article gives an overview of the life and work of William Petty, with a strong emphasis on the contribution of Petty to the development of early economic thinking. The article has reached some fame because Hull proposes in it the division of the writings of Petty into three chronological groups.
The contribution of William Petty to the early development of economic theory had already been a subject of research by different scholars. Hull mentions Zuckerkandl and von Bergmann in the introduction, and Ingram, Roscher, Kautz, McCulloch and Travers Twiss in the final chapter of 'Petty's Place in the History of Economic Theory'.[2]
Hull himself had published The Economic Writings of Sir William Petty (in 2 volumes), in 1899, in which he had already written a large 'Introduction', containing biographic information on Petty (and Graunt), and in which he spend quite some space on the debate concerning the authorship of the Observations upon the Bills of Mortality, concluding that Graunt was the author of it.
After a short introductory paragraph, 'Petty's place in the history of economic theory' holds 5 chapters.
The first chapter contains a short biography of Petty, and a general description of the economic writings, in which Hull makes a division in three (or four) groups, relating to distinct periods in Petty's life, and to books with "a common provocation and common characteristics":[5]
the first group was written when Petty had returned to London after finishing his "Down Survey" in Ireland and consists mainly of A Treatise of Taxes & Contributions (written and first published 1662) and Verbum Sapienti (written 1665, printed 1691). Both texts relate to the discussions about fiscal issues, following the Restoration and the expenses in the first Dutch war.
the second group contain The Political Anatomy of Ireland and Political Arithmetick. They were written some ten years later in Ireland. As Hull points out, the "direct impulse to their writing came from Dr. Edward Chamberlayne's Present State of England, published 1669".
Again ten years later the group of pamphlets was written, that were contributions to the dispute whether London were a larger city than Paris, and that are titled the Essays in Political Arithmetick by Hull. This group of pamphlets has a close relation to John Graunt's Observations upon the Bills of Mortality of London.
The Quantulumcunque concerning Money (written in 1682, and printed 1695, and perhaps in 1682), can probably be considered as belonging to a group of its own.
The division given here was still used by scholars at the end of the twentieth century.[6]
The second chapter describes the method and content of the economic writings of Petty. Perhaps this chapter is biased because of Hull's interest in the use of the statistical method in history and economics. He mentions Petty's method a statistical method, which is as such inapplicable to many subjects, and therefore restricting to some extent the content of the writings. Petty's predilection for a statistical method is due to the influence of Bacon. The well-known quote of Petty is "The Method I take is not very usual; for, instead of using only comparative and superlative Words, and intellectual Arguments, I have taken the course (as a Specimen of the Political Arithmetick I have long aimed at) to express myself in Terms of Number, Weight, or Measure; to use only Arguments of Sense, and to consider only such Causes, as have visible Foundations in Nature".[7]
But statistical sources were scarce in the 17th century. So a great number of basic facts, like the population of London, of England and of Ireland, had to be calculated, with all the risks of inaccuracies. And although he was aware of the fact that most of his calculations were mere guesses, he sometimes drew conclusions, that were far behind real. "He did not hesitate to advance, in all seriousness, the most astounding proposals for increasing the national wealth of the three kingdoms by a wholesale deportation of the Irish and Scotch into England,—proposals based solely upon the results of a complicated series of guesses and multiplications."[8]
Chapter three is devoted to the content of Petty's work. As far as his contributions to economic theory are concerned, Hull thinks, that the writings in the first group (and the Quantulumcunque) are most important. This brings the focus to the Treatise of Taxes & Contributions, and thus on taxation.[9] But out of the discussion of taxes also proceeds the treatment of rent.[10] Also Petty's theory of value "is developed incidentally to the discussion of taxation. It is an uncompromising quantity-of-labor theory."[11]
In the fourth chapter attention is first given to the second group of Petty's writings, the Political Anatomy of Ireland (1672) and the Political Arithmetick (1676). They are "predominantly descriptive" and economically, they add "little or nothing new to Petty's know ideas."[12] The Political Arithmetick, in contrast to the Political Anatomy, deals chiefly with England, and especially tries to prove that England is stronger and wealthier than France. To prove this, Petty uses clever calculations.
In this same chapter Hull treats the third group of Petty's writings, the Essays in Political Arithmetick, together with the Quantulumcunque. The Essays had a public purpose: to prove that London "was a greater city than Paris, and, indeed, the greatest in the world. (…) The present interest of the Essays lies chiefly in the light which they throw upon Petty's statistical method. Economically, they are barren. The Quantulumcunque, on the other hand, is full of meat."[13]
The final chapter tries to give a summary of the findings.
Critical reception
The division of the writings of Petty into three groups, which was proposed by Hull in this article, was still referred to at the end of the twentieth century, for instance by Hutchison in 1988[14] and by Yang in 1994.[15]
In 1955 Matsukawa [16] criticized Hull, for not giving proper appraisal to some of the later essays of Petty. In Hull's opinion, these essays, generally regarded as his works on vital statistics, "added practically nothing of economic interest to these earlier books",[17] while Matsukawa thinks they are "in final analysis his arguments for the increase of the 'Superlucration'."[16]
Roll, in his A History of Economic Thought,[18] is annoyed by Hull's characterization of Petty as "a sort of English cameralist".[19] According to Roll, identifying Petty with the "pseudo-economist advisers of absolute monarchs" is based on "misconception" and "must seriously interfere with a just estimate of Petty's position in the history of economic thought."[20]
In 1991 Mark Blaug published the first volume in the series on "Pioneers in Economics" on Pre-Classical Economists.[21] This volume was dedicated to Charles Davenant (1656-1687) and William Petty. It contained ten scholarly articles, all previously published. The first article in the (chronologically ordered) volume was Petty's Place in the History of Economic Theory. In the short introduction to the volume Blaug did not further explain his choice of articles.
In 1993 Hong-Seok Yang referred to the classification of Petty's writings in chronological groups by Hull in his treatment of Petty's concept of 'natural price' in The political economy of trade and growth: an analytical interpretation of Sir James Steuart's Inquiry.[22]
In 2002 Dooley referred to Hull 1900 as a "notable commentator" on Petty in the context of the early development of the labour theory of value.[23]
In 2011 Erba, in an analysis of the contribution of Giammaria Ortes (1713-1790) to economic science, remarks that Ortes' calculations on income, consumption and distribution "are significantly more complete and accurate than those obtained by Petty".[24] He cites Hull 1900 who says that no good grounds for Petty's assumptions can be found.[25]
Footnotes
↑ A transcription is also available in the Archive for the History of Economic Thought at McMaster University; see also this entry in EconPapers.
↑ Most of the writers on the early development of economic thought are only mentioned in a few sentences. They are:
Bergmann, Eugen von (1895) - Die Wirtschaftskrisen. Geschichte der nationalökonomischen Krisentheorieen.copy at the Internet Archive . There is only one place where Petty is mentioned: p. 235.
Kautz, Gyula (1860) - Die geschichtliche Entwickelung der National-Oekonomik und ihrer Literatur (Theorie und Geschichte der National-Oekonomik. Propyläen zum volks- und staatswirtschaftlichen Studium; vol. 2). Wien: Gerold. OCLC64744129; also spelled as "Die geschichtliche Entwicklung...." ( OCLC603617578). Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der National-Oekonomik und ihrer Literatur at Google Books. Reprint 1970: Glashütten im Taunus: Auvermann, OCLC74196935. See for instance p. 311f.. The paragraph is entitled "Die anti-merkantilistische Richtung und die Anfänge der wissenschaftlicheren Nationalökonomie in England" (p. 307-322) and comprises also Dudley North (1641-1691) and others.
McCulloch, John Ramsay (1845) – The Literature of Political Economy. Hull mentions McCulloch only once in 'Petty's Place in the History of Economic Theory' (without mentioning a publication), but in his Economic Writings of 1899 (Hull (1899)), Hull does mention McCulloch on a few more place: on p. xxxix and p. l in regard to the relation of Petty and Graunt; on p. 257 on Political Arithmetick, ref Evelyn in "A select collection…."; on p. 639 = 638/9/40: bibl. [10e] on the reprint Quantulumcunque 1856 in "A select collection…." by McCulloch. In the list of books used (p. 668) he only mentions McCulloch 1845.
Roscher, Wilhelm Georg Friedrich (1851) – Zur Geschichte der englischen Volkswirthschaftslehre im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert. In: Abhandlungen der k. sächs. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, Bd. 3. Leipzig.OCLC741741146. copy at the Internet Archive ; see ch. VII – 'Der politische Arithmetiker Petty', pp. 67-85 (mentioned by Hull on p. 339).
One of the writers, that credited Petty for his contribution to the history of economic thought, was of course Karl Marx (especially in Theorien über den Mehrwert (Theories of Surplus Value), written 1861-1863, first published 1905-1910). Hull does not mention Marx here, nor in his Economic Writings, although he does mention Petty a "founder of political economy".(Hull 1900, p.338) Inglis Palgrave published the first edition of his Dictionary of Political Economy between 1894 and 1899. Edmond Fitzmaurice wrote an article on Petty in the third volume, p. 99-102. It is not mentioned by Hull.
↑ One may wonder why Hull does not mention A Treatise of Ireland in this list. He was the first to have this manuscript, dated 1687, printed. (Hull 1899, pp.545–621).
↑ Hull 1900, p. 330 Hull's peremptory statement is in contrast with for instance Kühnis 1960, who did extensive research on the value and price theoretical concepts of Petty and the "dogmenhistorische" background. Kühnis does not mention Hull's essay.
Erba, Alighiero (2011). "Economic structure and national accounting: G. Ortes' contribution to economic science". History of Economic Ideas. 19 (1): 55–83. JSTOR23723559.
Roll, Eric (1973) [1st pub.: 1938]. A History of Economic Thought (revised and enlarged 1973; reprinted 1978, 4th.ed.). London & Boston: Faber & Faber Ltd. ISBN0-571-04804-8.
Roncaglia, Alessandro (1985). Petty. The Origins of Political Economy. Translated by Isabella Cherubini. Cardiff etc: University College Cardiff Press. ISBN0-906449-91-X. (translation of Petty: la nascita dell' economia politica,1977)
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Sir William PettyFRS was an English economist, physician, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers. He also remained a significant figure under King Charles II and King James II, as did many others who had served Cromwell.
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The Advice to Hartlib was a treatise on education, written by Sir William Petty (1623–1687) in 1647 as a letter to Samuel Hartlib. and published in 1647/8. It was the first printed work by Petty and covers a total of 31 pages.
A Declaration Concerning the newly invented Art of Double Writing was a pamphlet of 6 leaves, written by Sir William Petty (1623-1687) and first published in 1648. It contained information regarding his invention of the "Art of Double Writing", especially a claim for patent rights. It did not contain any information on what his invention exactly was.
The Proceedings between Sankey and Petty is a pamphlet that contains a summary of the controversy that arose between Sir Hierom Sankey and Sir William Petty in the aftermath of the Down Survey. Sankey accused Petty of bribery and fraud. One of the ways in which Petty answered to this accusations was by this pamphlet, that was published in print by Petty in 1659 and covers a total of ten pages.
The Life of Sir William Petty 1623-1687 is a book, written by Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice, and published in 1895. It is a biography of Sir William Petty, the 17th-century scientist, known for his inventions, his charting of large parts of Ireland, in the Down Survey, and his publications on many different topics, like "political arithmetic" and political economy.
The Economic Writings of Sir William Petty is a book with texts, written by William Petty (1623-1687), and published in 1899 by Charles Henry Hull (1864-1936), in two volumes. The Economic Writings were published together with an introduction about the life and work of William Petty, and did also contain Natural and Political Observations upon the Bills of Mortality, by John Graunt.
Tony Aspromourgos is an Australian historian of economic thought, professor at the University of Sydney and a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA). He has published several books and many articles in economic journals on different subjects concerning the history of economic thought, especially on William Petty, Richard Cantillon and Adam Smith.
A history of economic thought is a book by the Russian economist Isaak Illich Rubin (1886-1937). A second revised edition published in Russian in 1929 was first translated into English by Donald Filtzer and published in 1979. The book covers the period from mercantilism in the 16th century to the decline of the classical school of political economy with writers like John Stuart Mill in the mid-19th century. It critically appraises the theories of major writers, and places their thought in the context of the economic and social changes of their day. It adopts a Marxist standpoint in making critiques, but Marx's work is not itself discussed at any length. The book ends with the state of economics as Marx found it when he first turned to it in the mid-19th century. Rubin's other major work, Essays on Marx's theory of value, takes up Marx's own contributions.
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